Coupling unit for antenna systems



April 27, 1954 E. v. AMY ET AL COUPLING UNIT FOR ANTENNA SYSTEMS Filed Sept. 10. 1949 INVENTORS M u. M BY I 7344443 /d ',7

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1!!! tal Patented Apr. 27, 1954 2,677,110 COUPLING UNIT FOR ANTENNA SYSTEMS Ernest V. Amy, Atlantic Beach, and Frank King, New York, N. Y., assignors to Amy, Aceves & King, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 10, 1949, Serial No. 115,058

Claims. 1

The present invention relates to antenna systems particularly useful in the reception of radio signals above 1600 k. c., which includes present television, frequency modulation, very high frequency and ultra high frequency bands, where a plurality of receiving sets are connected to a common downlead from one antenna or array, as, for example, in apartment houses, hotels, or commercial establishments, and to coupling devices for use therein.

In such antenna systems it is important that each receiving set function independently of each other set so that the sets may be separately. tuned to receive any of the available transmitting stations at the will of the respective set users and as though no other receiver were connected to the antenna system, i. e., Without distortions caused by interactions between the different sets. We have heretofore devised and patented various antenna systems and devices for this general purpose, and the present invention is more especially concerned with such an antenna system applicable to already constructed buildings and to the physical construction of coupling units therefor.

The system and construction illustrated herein, by way of example, is useful in such a system comprising an antenna array, usually located on the roof of the building, and a downlead extending therefrom along the outside wall of the building and adjacent the windows through which connections are to be made to the various receiving sets located in different apartments or rooms. The downlead, in present practices, is generally a two-wire balanced line'having a rating between one hundred fifty and three hundred ohms, and also generally is unshielded but may be shielded if desired, the same being connected at its upper end to the antenna, and having its lower end grounded through a pair of impedance devices, or through a single such device in the case of the shielded line.

The coupling units comprise a pair of resistors and are desirably capable of ready attachment anywhere along the downlead, or lead-in as it sometimes called, as Well as being relatively inconspicuous in appearance, readily susceptible of quick and easy disassembly before, and reassembly after, being connected in place, requiring a minimum of on the job circuit connections to be made at the time of installation of the antenna system, so enclosing the circuit connections of the coupler as to render the same practically immune to weather conditions and, finally, being economical to manufacture.

Other and further objects of this invention will be evident from this specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a portion of an antenna system embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the coupling units looking at one side thereof and with enclosing parts broken away to facilitate the illustration;

Fig. 3 is a similar plan view from the opposite side of the coupling unit, similarly broken away;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail.

Referring to the drawings, the downlead, indicated at l I, has a plurality of set coupling units 12 connected thereto at spaced intervals. The downlead is intended to be connected at its upper end to any suitable antenna array or assembly and, purely by way of example, reference is made to any of the various arrangements shown in the co-pending application of Ernest V. Amy and Julius G. Aceves, Serial No. 753,018, filed June 6, 1947, now Patent No. 2,611,086, issued September 16, 1952. At its lower end the downlead i i may be connected to ground through suitable impedance devices [3 which may be housed similarly to the coupling units about to be described. In the case of a shielded downlead, such as a single wire co-axial cable, the shield would be connected directly to ground and the shielded conductor grounded through an impedance device.

Each coupling unit I2 is similarly constructed and mounted upon the downlead, so that only one need be described in detail. The coupling unit comprises a center mounting disc 15 which is clamped between a pair of cup-shaped housing members consisting of base It and cap IT. It will be noted that the mounting disc is slightly larger in diameter than the housing members between which it is clamped. Extending in one direction from the mounting disc [5 and located within the base It is a pair of terminal lugs l8 which are held to the mounting disc by rivets It. Extending from the opposite side of the mounting disc 15 and into the cap I1 is a second pair of terminal lugs 2| secured in place by rivets 22 which extend through the disc. A resistor '23 is connected between one of the rivets 22 and one of the lugs I8, and a similar resistor 23 is connected between the other lug i8 and rivet 22, it being seen that these connections and resistors are all within the housing base it. The values of the resistors 23 will be properly chosen for the particular service conditions to prevent the receiving set from aiiecting the operation of any other set connected to the downlead. The wires of a coupling cable 2 2- are respectively permanently connected to the lugs l3, and this cable extends out of the coupling housing through a notch 25 in the perimeter of the mounting disc I5. The coupling cable 24 is for connection to the individual receiving set, indicated in Fig. 1 at 26, and for convenience of effecting difierent connections between the set and downlead as may be required the wires of the cable may extend to a suitable terminal block, not shown, and through which the connections to the set would be made.

It will be noted that base It and cap ll are hollow and cup-shaped, and stand off some distance from the resistance elements thereby providing air insulation in order to minimize any dielectric losses that would otherwise take place. Should the mass of said base and said cap be close to said resistance elements, capacitance effects would be set up particularly in view of the high frequencies encountered in radio signals above 1600 k. c. at which the coupling units are intended to operate.

The coupling units are designed so as to be mounted anywhere along the download it according to the locations of the individual. entries into the building, such as the windows at the different floor levels. To permit of this readily selectable location of the coupling units, the periphery of the mounting disc it is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed notches 3i and 32 in which the downlead is received and which permit the same to pass through the housing as a continuous element. The downlead preferably comprises a pair of parallel wires 33 and 34 which are spread apart for a short space within the cap ll, as seen at 35 in Fig. 2, so as to span the lugs 21. The insulation is removed from each wire in the area immediately adjacent the lugs and the wires are soldered or otherwise secured thereto to complete the electrical circuit from each wire or the downlead to the receiving set through the respective lugs 2i, rivets 22, resistors 23, lugs i8 and the wires of the coupling cable 24. Again, it is possible to use a single wire shielded cable either in place of the cable 24 or between the receiving set and the terminal block, if used, in which case the single wire will be con nected to the downlead through only one or the resistors.

In the manufacture of the coupling units, the various elements are secured to the mounting disc l and a suitable length of coupling cable 24 is connected to the lugs I8, all as described above, whereupon this disc may be enclosed in any suitable housing. We presently prefer the structure shown and described herein, in which the mounting disc is then secured to the housing base 16 by a screw threaded hollow rivet 3? so as to form a weathertight joint between the mounting disc and the edge or base it and completely enclosing the resistors and the electrical connections thereto.

After the coupling unit has been placed upon the downlead H and soldered thereto as described, the housing is completed by placing the cap IT on the opposite side of the disc iii. For this purpose the cap ll has a screw til secured thereto which extends through the cap and engages in the screw threads of the hollow rivet 3i of the base element It. We have found it to be convenient to secure the screw 38 to the cap I1 by means of the sleeve nut 39, which sleeve may be long enough to engage with the outturned flange of the rivet 3! whenever the cap is fully tightened in place, and thereby prevent any co1 lapsing of the housing as the base and cap are firmly clamped to the disc and a weather tight connection is made between the disc and the edge of cap [1. It will be evident that as the cap I! is screwed down, the downlead i l and the coupling cable 24 will be somewhat compressed and firmly clamped in their respective notches in the mounting disc and will emerge from the coupling unit in the plane of the disc (see Fig. 5). Inasmuch as these notches are only large enough to receive the downlead and coupling cable, a substantially weatherproof enclosure will be formed by this clamping arrangement. Furthermore, by this clamping and the securing of the download to the lugs 2|, the unit becomes fixed in position in proximity to the individual receiving set.

it is believed the functioning of the system as a whole will be understood from the foregoing. Signal voltages from the antenna are introduced to the receiving sets through the dcwnlead ll, coupling unit 12 and cable 24, which circuit includes one or both of the resistors the desired signals being selected by well known adjustment devices associated with the set. The resistors will permit the passage of the signals to the set without appreciable diminution, as a practical matter, and will, at the same time, prevent the passage of any electrical components in the reverse direction, i. e., from the set to the download, which would disturb the proper reception of signals on any other receiving set connected to the downlead.

In the specification, we have explained the principles of our invention and the best mode in which we have contemplated applying those principles, so as to distinguish our invention from other inventions; and we have particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed the part, improvement or combination which we claim as our invention or discovery.

While we have shown and described certain preferred embodiments of our invention, it will be understood that modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, as will be clear to those skilled in the art.

We claim:

1. A coupling unit comprising a mounting disc having a pair of oppositely located cable receiving notches and an additional notch in the pe riphery thereof, pairs of terminal lugs on either side of said disc, impedance means located on one side of said disc and connected between separate ones of each of said pairs of lugs, one pair of said lugs being adapted to have the wires of a coupling cable connected thereto with said cable extending outwardly through said additional notch, the other of said pair of lugs being adapted to have wires of a second insulated cable connected thereto and entering the unit through one of said opposed notches and passing out of said unit through the other of said opposed notches, an enclosing hollow base mounted on one side of said disc, a rivet clamping the base and disc together in a unit with the coupling cable extending therefrom, an enclosing hollow cap mounted on the other side of said disc, and means removably mounting the cap on said disc for the subsequent insertion and attachment of said second cable, the base and cap when assembled to the plate clamping the cables in the respective notches.

2. A coupling unit comprising a mounting disc having cable receiving notches in the periphery thereof and carrying pairs of terminal lugs on either side thereof, impedance means located on one side of said disc and connected between separate ones of each of said pairs of lugs, one pair of said lugs being adapted to have the wires of a coupling cable connected thereto with said cable extending outwardly through one of said notches, the other of said pair of lugs being adapted to have wires of a second cable connected thereto and extending outwardly through another of said notches, a hollow cover member mounted on the side of said disc on which said impedance means are located, said hollow memher being riveted to said disc to form a unit with. the coupling cable extending therefrom, a second hollow cover member mounted on the other side of said disc and enclosing the lugs and connections thereon, and means securing the second cover member and mounting disc together to hold the cables in the respective notches.

3. A coupling unit comprising a mounting disc carrying pairs of terminal lugs, impedance means connected between separate ones of each of said pairs of lugs, one of said pairs of lugs being adapted to have the wires of a coupling cable connected thereto and extending outwardly of said unit, the other of said pairs of lugs being adapted to have the wires of a second insulated cable connected thereto and extending outwardly of said unit, a hollow member for said impedance means permanently connected to one side of said disc and providing a substantially weatherproof enclosure, and a second removable hollow enclosure connected to the other side of said disc for enclosing said other lugs and connections, and notches between the assembled disc and enclosures through which the cables are adapted to extend and in which the cables are clamped by the engagement of disc and enclosures.

4. A coupling unit comprising a mounting disc having a pair of oppositely located cable receiving notches and an additional notch in the periphery thereof, pairs of terminal lugs on either side of said disc, impedance means located on one side of said disc and connected between separate ones of each of said pairs of lugs, one pair of said lugs being adapted to have the wires of a coupling cable connected thereto with said coupling extending outwardly through said additional notch, the other of said pair of lugs being adapted to have a shielded downlead connected thereto and entering the unit through one of said opposed notches and passing out of said unit through the other of said opposed notches, an enclosing hollow base mounted on one side of said disc, a rivet clamping the base and disc together in a unit with the coupling cable extending therefrom, an enclosing hollow cap mounted on the other side of said disc, and means removably mounting the cap on said disc for the subsequent insertion and attachment of said downlead, the base and cap when assembled to the plate clamping the cable and downlead in the respective notches.

5. In a coupling unit for antenna receiving systems, a mounting disc having pairs of terminal lugs on opposite sides thereof, impedance means connected between separate ones of each of said pairs of lugs on one side of said disc, one of said pairs of lugs being adapted for connection also to wires of a coupling cable, the other of said pairs of lugs also being adapted for connection to wires of a second cable, a hollow enclosing member permanently connected to said disc and enclosing said impedance means, a second hollow enclosing member removably attached to the other side of said disc and enclosing said connections and notches in said disc each adapted to receive a cable, said hollow members being adapted to clamp said cables in their respective notches.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 982,551 Vaughn Jan. 24, 1911 1,957,519 Aiken May 8, 1934 1,995,731 Amy et al Mar. 26, 1935 2,002,844 Aceves et a1. May 28, 1935 2,064,227 Shumard Dec. 15, 1936 2,110,513 Toelke Mar. 8, 1938 2,118,471 Monk et al. May 24, 1938 2,145,548 Landon Jan. 31, 1939 2,148,098 Bowman-Manifold Feb. 21, 1939 2,440,748 Johnson May 4, 1948 2,477,653 Roane Aug. 2, 1949 2,533,483 Losquadro Dec. 12, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 436,233 Great Britain Oct. 8, 1935 624,418 Great Britain June 1949 

